DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the applicant’s reply filed on April 23, 2026. Claims 1-22 are pending and addressed below.
Response to Amendment
In response to the applicant’s amendments to claim 15 to provide further clarity to the claims, the rejection of claim 15 under 35 USC 112(b) has been withdrawn.
Claims 1-2, 5, 9, 15-17 and 1-20 are amended. Claims 21-22 are newly added. Claims 1-22 are pending and addressed below.
The new ground of rejection set forth below for claims 1-22 [under 35 USC 103, for this particular situation] is necessitated by Applicant’s amendment filed on April 23, 2026. In particular, claim 1 has been amended to include “having a fixed seat back portion and a fixed seat bottom portion, the fixed seat operable to maintain a fixed position, and a sliding seat having a sliding seat back portion and a sliding seat bottom portion” and claim 16 has been amended to include “the sliding seat being immediately adjacent to the fixed seat when the convertible seat assembly is in the expanded position, wherein the plurality of sliding slats is operable to slide adjacent to and longitudinally along the plurality of fixed slats to transition the convertible seat assembly” as recited in claim 16. For these reasons, the present action is properly made final.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 23, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, Applicant has argued that Weers, German Patent No. DE 102016100660 A1 (hereinafter Weers) in view of Seyffert et al., WIPO Document No. WO 201136684 A1 (hereinafter Seyffert) fails to disclose the fixed and sliding seats as claimed. The Examiner disagrees with this position. Specifically, applicant has indicated that as disclosed in Figures 5 and 7 of Weers, the fixed seat (traverse bench seat 14) does not have both a fixed seat back portion and a fixed seat bottom portion, as the bench is merely a “traverse bench seat”. However, it is clear from Figures 5 and 7 that the wall (2) of Weers, which is located surrounding the traverse bench seat (14), could be considered a fixed seat back portion for the traverse bench seat. Additionally, there are no limitations in the claim which would preclude the wall (2) from being considered as or used for a fixed seat back portion. As such it is the Examiner’s position that the wall (2) as disclosed by Weers and located along the traverse seat bench (14) meets the limations of the fixed seat back portion. As such it is clear that Weers in view of Seyffert meets the limitations of claim 1.
Regarding claim 16, Applicant has argued that Weers in view of Seyffert fails to disclose the plurality of sliding slats operable to slide adjacent to and longitudinally along the alleged plurality of fixed slats and that the respective slats of the bench 14 and the seat 15 do not appear to interact with one another. The Examiner disagrees. Specifically, the plurality of sliding slats do slide adjacent to and longitudinally along the plurality of fixed slats, specifically the ends of the fixed slats. There are no limitations within claim 16 that address the direction or orientation of the plurality of fixed slats with respect to the plurality of sliding slats nor are there any limitations that address how plurality of sliding slats interact with the plurality of fixed slats other than the fact that they slide adjacent to an longitudinally along the plurality of fixed slats. There is nothing in claim 16 which would preclude the plurality of sliding slats from sliding adjacent to and longitudinally along the ends of the plurality of fixed slats as disclosed by Weers in order to meet the limitations of claim 16. As such it is clear that Weers in view of Seyffert meets the limitations of claim 16.
Regarding claims 2-15 and 17-22, the arguments as presented above with respect to claims 1 and 16 are equally applicable to claims 2-15 and 17-22.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, 7, 12-14, and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weers, German Patent No. DE 10 2016100 660 A1 (hereinafter Weers) in view of Seyffert et al., WIPO Document No. WO 201136684 A1 (hereinafter Seyffert).
Claim 1: Weers discloses recreational vehicle (in caravans, motorhomes, garden or holiday homes, in boats or in ship cabins, see abstract) comprising:
a body including a cab area (caravans and motorhome necessarily include a cab area) and a living space area (used in living area of small room in caravans, motorhomes, garden or holiday homes, in boats or in ship cabins, see abstract) ;
a convertible seat assembly in the living space area (seats converted to a lying surface, pg 3), the convertible seat assembly operable to transition between a collapsed position and an expanded position (reshape a seating group to a comfortable mattress), the convertible seat assembly including:
a fixed seat (wall 2 with transverse seat bench 14 is firmly bolted, pg 7, Fig 5, 7) having a fixed seat back portion (wall 2 behind traverse seat bench 14 acts as a fixed seat back, Fig 7) and a fixed seat bottom portion (transverse seat bench 14 is firmly bolted, pg 7, Fig 5, 7), the fixed seat operable to maintain a fixed position (transverse seat bench 14 is firmly bolted, pg 7, Fig 5, 7), and
a sliding seat (seat slats 15 and backrest slats 16 are movable, pg 7, Fig 5, 7) having a sliding seat back portion (backrest slats 16) and a sliding seat bottom portion (seat slats 15), the sliding seat being independently moveable with respect to the fixed seat (rotation of electric motor 101 moves seat slat 15 and backrest slatted base 16, pg 7, Fig 5, 7).
Weers fails to disclose a seat belt assembly coupled to a removable seat assembly, the seat belt assembly including a first seat belt operable to releasably couple to the fixed seat and a second seat belt operable to releasably couple to the sliding seat.
Seyffert discloses a seat belt assembly coupled to the convertible seat assembly (removable seat assembly, pg 2), the seat belt assembly (seat belt system 10) including a first seat belt (seat belt 18) operable to releasably couple to a seat (bench seat 52) and a second seat belt (seat belt 17) operable to releasably couple to a seat (rear vehicle seat 16) (the belt strap can be detachably fixed, pg 2, seat belts 17, 18 can be stored when not in use, see Fig 4, abstract, pg 9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify a the fixed seat and the sliding seat of Weers to include the releasably coupled seat belts as disclosed by Seyffert as this would have yield the predictable results of providing a safety belt system for holding back a vehicle occupant wearing the seat belt in the seat while allowing the belt strap to be detachably fixed for the purpose of moving the sliding seat (Seyffert, pg 2) and the fixed seat, sliding seat and the seat belt would merely perform the same functions as they do separately.
Claim 2: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses the sliding seat (Weers, seat slats 15 and backrest slats 16 are movable) collapses into the fixed seat (Weers, transverse seat bench 14 and wall 2) and to form a single seat (Weers, lying surface) in the collapsed position (Weers, backrest slats 16 and seat slats 15 are moved into position as shown in Fig 7, pg 7).
Claim 3: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses wherein the first seat belt and the second seat belt are both three-point seat belts (Seyffert, extendable seat belts 17, 18 are three point seat belts as shown in Fig 3-4, pg 7).
Claim 5: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses wherein the sliding seat back portion (Weers, backrest slats 16) and the sliding seat bottom portion (Weers, seat slats 15) are operable to move indepdnat from each other (backrest slats 16 and seat slats 15 rotate independently into different orientations at hinges 17, pg 7).
Claim 7: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses the sliding seat (15, 16) is coupled to at least one of a floor of the living space area (seat slats 15 are coupled via seat boxes 20) or a side wall of the living space area (surrounding walls shown in Fig 5) when the convertible seat assembly (15, 16) is in the expanded position (seating configuration, shown in Fig 5).
Claim 12: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses wherein the convertible seat assembly is operable to transition to a further expanded position to define a second sliding seat (second set seat slats 15 and backrest slats 16 are movable, pg 7, Fig 5, 7) the second sliding seat including a second plurality of sliding slats (15, 16), the second sliding seat (15, 16) being adjacent to the sliding seat when the convertible seat assembly is in the further expanded position (the sliding seats 15, 16 are located facing or next to one another in the retracted position, see Fig 7).
Claim 13: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses wherein the fixed seat (14) includes a plurality of fixed slats (Weers, slats of bench 14) and the sliding seat (15, 16) includes a plurality of sliding slats (Weers, slats of 15 and 16), the plurality of sliding slats (15, 16) operable to slide adjacent to the plurality of fixed slats (14) to transition the convertible seat assembly between the collapsed position (Weers, retracted position shown in Fig 5) and the expanded position (Weers, lying position shown in Fig 7) (Weers, seat slats 15 and backrest slats 16 are movable into position adjacent to transverse seat bench 14, pg 7, Fig 5, 7).
Claim 14: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses further comprising a cushion assembly coupled to the convertible seat assembly (upholstery on transverse seat bench 14 is fixed, upholstery on the seat cushion and backrest follow movement of respective seat slatted frame 15 and backrest slats 16, pg 7).
Claim 16: Weers discloses a convertible seat assembly (see Fig 5, 7) operable to transition between a collapsed position (seats converted to a lying surface, pg 3) and an expanded position (reshape a seating group to a comfortable mattress), the convertible seat assembly comprising:
a fixed seat (transverse seat bench 14 is firmly bolted, pg 7, Fig 5, 7) including a plurality of fixed slats (see Fig 5, 7);
a sliding seat including a plurality of sliding slats (seat slats 15 and backrest slats 16 are movable, pg 7, Fig 5, 7), the sliding seat (15, 16) being immediately adjacent to the fixed seat (14) when the convertible seat assembly is in the expanded position (sliding seats 15, 16 expanded into lying surface and immediately adjacent to traverse seat bench 14, as seen in Fig 7), wherein the plurality of sliding slats (15, 16) is operable to slide adjacent to and longitudinally along the plurality of fixed slats (14) (sliding slats 15, 16 slide longitudinally along the transverse seat bench 14 composed of fixed slats) to transition the convertible seat assembly between the collapsed position (retracted position, Fig 5) and the expanded position (lying position, Fig 7); and
a sliding seat (seat slats 15 and backrest slats 16 are movable, pg 7, Fig 5, 7), the sliding seat being independently moveable with respect to the fixed seat (rotation of electric motor 101 moves seat slat 15 and backrest slatted base 16, pg 7, Fig 5, 7).
Weers fails to disclose a seat belt buckle positioned on an end of the fixed seat operable to receive a first three-point seat belt.
Seyffert discloses a seat belt assembly coupled a convertible seat assembly (removable seat assembly, pg 2), the seat belt assembly (seat belt system 10) including a seat belt buckle (seat belt lock 24) positioned on an end of the seat (located on an end of a first seat and between the first and second seats, see Fig 4) operable to receive a first three-point seat belt (seat belt lock/buckle 24 receives tongue 22 which is latchable in the belt lock/buckle to close the lock, see Fig 3, pg 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify a the fixed seat and the sliding seat of Weers to include the seat belt buckle and first three-point seat belt system seat belts as disclosed by Seyffert as this would have yielded the predictable results of providing a safety belt system for holding back a vehicle occupant wearing the seat belt in the seat (Seyffert, pg 2) and the sliding seat and the seat belt would merely perform the same functions as they do separately.
Claim 17: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses wherein the sliding seat (15, 16) collapses within the fixed seat (14/ 2) and to form a single seat in the collapsed position (Weers, backrest slats 16 and seat slats 15 are moved into position within the wall 2 as shown in Fig 7, pg 7).
Claim 18: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses further comprising a second seat belt buckle (seat beat lock/buckle 24) positioned on an end of a second seat (located on the end of the second seat 16 between the second and third seats) operable to receive a second three-point seat belt (seat belt lock/buckle 24 receives tongue 22 which is latchable in the belt lock/buckle to close the lock, see Fig 3, pg 7).
Claim 19: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses wherein the fixed seat (wall 2 with transverse seat bench 14 is firmly bolted, pg 7, Fig 5, 7) includes a fixed seat back portion (wall 2 behind traverse seat bench 14 acts as a fixed seat back, Fig 7) and a fixed seat bottom portion (transverse seat bench 14 is firmly bolted, pg 7, Fig 5, 7) and wherein the sliding seat (15, 16) further includes a sliding seat back portion (Weers, backrest slats 16) and a sliding seat bottom portion (Weers, seat slats 15), the sliding seat back portion (16) and the sliding seat bottom portion (15) operable to move independently from each other (backrest slats 16 and seat slats 15 rotate independently into different orientations at hinges 17, pg 7).
Claim 20: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses wherein the convertible seat assembly is operable to transition to a further expanded position to define a second sliding seat (second set seat slats 15 and backrest slats 16 are movable, pg 7, Fig 5, 7) the second sliding seat including a second plurality of sliding slats (15, 16), the second sliding seat (15, 16) being immediately adjacent to the sliding seat when the convertible seat assembly is in the further expanded position (the sliding seats 15, 16 are located facing or next to one another in the retracted position, see Fig 7).
Claim 22: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses wherein the sliding seat (15/16) and the fixed seat (2/ 14) are immediately adjacent (next to) in the expanded position (the sliding seats 15, 16 are located or next to one another in the retracted position, as seen on Fig 7).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weers in view of Seyffert as applied to claim 3, and further in view of Cuny, United Kingdom Patent No. GB 1370865 A (hereinafter Cuny).
Claim 4: Weers, as modified by Seyffert, discloses fails to discloses wherein a latch of the second seat belt releasably couples to a second buckle in a side-wall of the living space area to establish three-point contact.
Cuny discloses a seat belt (inertia reel safety belt) with a latch (detachable element 11) that releasably couples to a second buckle (fixed element 16) in a side-wall of the vehicle (upright 17) to establish three-point contact (as shown in Fig 2, 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the second seat belts of Seyffert to further include a latch releasably coupled to a second buckle as disclosed by Cuny located in the side-wall of the living space area as this modification would have yielded the predictable results of a seat belt with a three-point contact that is detachable from the side-wall of the living space area thereby allowing for different configurations of the seat belt and disengagement of the seat belt in an emergency (Cuny, pg 1, ln 65-71).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 8-11, 15, and 21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art discloses the limitations of the claims as indicated above.
Regarding claim 6, Weers, Seyffert, and Cuny fail to disclose a first alarm component on the fixed seat, a second alarm component on the sliding seat, and a third alarm component on a side wall adjacent to the sliding seat, wherein an alarm signal is generated when the second alarm component is not in communication with at least one of the first alarm component or the third alarm component.
Regarding claim 8, Weers, Seyffert, and Cuny fails to disclose wherein the sliding seat is coupled to the living space area via at least one release pin that is transitionable between a locked position and an unlocked position. Further, the use of release pins would not have been obvious as the sliding seat (15, 16) of Weers is operated with an electric motor (101) and cables (104a, 104b) (Weers, pg 6).
Regarding claim 15, Weers, Seyffert, and Cuny fails to disclose wherein the collapsible seat assembly has a collapsed width in the collapsed position and an overall expanded width in the expanded position, wherein the expanded overall width is between 90% to 110% of the collapsed width as the width of the convertible seat assembly of Weers does not change between the collapsed position and the expanded position.
Regarding claim 21, Weers, Seyffert, and Cuny fails to wherein, when in the collapsed position, the plurality of sliding slats are positioned between the plurality of fixed slats as Weers discloses the plurality of sliding slats are positioned adjacent and longitudinally along the plurality of fixed slats and the manner in which the convertible seat transitions between the collapsed position and the expanded position would not position the sliding slates between the fixed slats.
Conclusion
Claims 1-5, 7, 12-14, 16-20 and 22 are rejected. Claims 6, 8-11, 15, and 21 are objected to. No claims are allowed.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAROLINE N BUTCHER whose telephone number is (571)272-1623. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tara E Schimpf can be reached at (571) 270-7741. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CAROLINE N BUTCHER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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